I would say if you don't have a secure parking spot then you should be prepared to have your car messed with.

I have had my fair share of dings, bumper kisses (idiot drivers who can't parallel park and do the bumper shuffle to get out or in), keying, and a window broken to steal nothing over the years going out for dinner and fun in the city when I was younger and we didn't have Uber and Lyft.

I've been in SF for 5 years now. I sold my car when I moved here because I didn't really need one to get around, this being a big city and all. And it was a DD. Fast forward to now and I'm waiting for my 991.2 GT3. It will be a weekend car for driving out of the city. I'll be renting a private garage near where I live. Seems like the going rate is around $300/month. If not a private garage, a spot in an expensive high-rise/condo gated garage. No street parking.

We ended up moving out of the city to the Peninsula in the Millbrae area. Was great because there was a BART station right there. Took about 30 mins to get to the office. And, with kids it helps to have a yard and such. I wouldn't move back to SF, but the peninsula is always nice. I would say take some time to just check it out.

Not sure what else I can add. But I have had a 993 Turbo since the beginning of 2012 in the Mission. Unfortunately, have had 3 garage break in's. Interestingly, the the last two the perps avoided my car like the plague. First time they broke the passenger window and there was nothing to steal. You just don't know what will happen. Never keep anything of value in your car. Lock your fastrak, garage door opener, etc in the glove box or take them with you. I need to consider a video system for driving and parking while I'm out. I never drive from one point in the city to another unless I know exactly where I am going to park and the security level. There are random marching protests that could catch you out. Also consider if you can easily plug in a battery tender or if you will need to disconnect the battery.

It might depend on what type of Porsche you drive, how much you drive it - how easy it is to drive. SOMA is pretty easy to get on the freeways and get out of city streets. Your insurance premium should already reflect where you live - should you need coverage. Average I drive is once every two weeks. At first it was much less. I clipper card, muni bus, bart, ride my bike, zip car, uber when required. If I needed to drive regularly through out the city I just couldn't do it. With an air cooled car all types of people really like seeing it and give compliments.

Also, this is a classic place to own a Porsche. Lots of great mechanics, great roads, tracks, events, detailers, Rennlisters, etc. I annually drive down to RMG in Sunnyvale and CalTrain back and forth to pick it up.

I think it's doable. It took me awhile to get used to it but you don't live forever and you just gotta weigh the benefits and costs to your psyche (and wallet?). If you don't want to drive a Porsche in the city don't. That's fine too.

Funny enough I saw a silver 993 Turbo parked on the street in Hayes Valley late last year on a Friday night. There was a car 1 inch in front of it and 1 car parked 1 inch behind it... what a brave owner...

Just wanted to revive this thread a bit - I'm relocating to CA this summer and it looks like Bay Area is the destination. I will have the GT3 with me and perhaps what could be unheard of for SF, a second car (Macan). Still waffling on that.

I'm really torn between the peninsula (Redwood City/MPK/Palo Alto areas) and SF, for my work I can choose (I work mostly remote in Hawaii anyways). Both are expensive, no way around it (equally between renting and buying). Being a younger guy SF is definitely more attractive, but could be quite a buzzkill for a car loving guy like myself.

Trying to learn the neighborhoods of SF is also quite confusing, do you guys have neighborhoods you like? I like the Marina district, North beach, *** hill areas (heh who doesn't), but I don't know how easy it is to drive a GT3 from there south to the Peninsula and I can virtually guarantee I won't get 2 secure parking spaces, if I'm lucky I'll get 1. SoMa and Mission Bay have stunning new condos with all the amenities and parking I need which is very attractive, but visiting there the areas are quite sterile with not much going on (yet). Access to 101S/Peninsula would be much easier I bet though. Don't know much about the southern parts of SF like Mission District, etc....

Any input would be greatly appreciated as usual

Edit - also feel free to PM me if you're willing so we can dive into this, would love to get an insider's perspective on SF since I am only familiar with the Peninsula areas

I live mid-Peninsula in Emerald Hills (Redwood City) but aside from liking everything about it I grew up in San Carlos so I’ve got a lot of roots in the area. Being a Peninsula native, I can complain about SF all day long but I was up in the City yesterday and I have to admit that I love the Ferry Building and everything going on in the area. I needed to drop my son off on lower Lombard Street and parking was abundant. It was a really nice morning, I had to wait 3 hours for him and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

SF neighborhoods are in a lot of flux right now, they have been for a few years. I wouldn’t shy away from Mission Bay at all. Far from sterile, there is a lot going on there and in close proximity to Dogpatch and the Mission. SOMA on the other side is another draw but the real win is the easy in/out of SF when you need it. Every neighborhood has its charm, and downsides, but sometimes you just have to live in it for a while to appreciate it.

Dog Patch is nice too from what I can tell. Same area as Mission Bay I guess.

On a side note. Thinking about renovating my apartment and moving out temporarily. Looks to cost $4000 a month with half as much space, parking not included, no utilities, less storage - Wow! However, that will get you a well run building unlike my building and HOA.

Personally I wouldnĺt own a Porsche in SF without a somewhat secure place to park. For me it would plague my mind.

Soma/Mission Bay/similar will see much more frequent street break-ins/etc than the northern neighborhoods (Nth Beach, *** Hill, Russian Hill, etc) but the reality is nowhere is immune.. it is a city after all.

That said, there are lots of places that have a garage or underground style parking. You also have the option to rent a spot which will run 350-450mth in the nicer neighborhoods.

I have a 964 turbo and a GT3 RS and live in the middle of the city. I have experienced a shared condo garage (perhaps 24ish condos, each with a car park), at different times have rented a spot in another building, rented a spot in a 2 car garage to store a car, and now am fortunate enough to have garage space for 2 cars.

More than anything in SF you cannot have anything in your car. Not even a paper bag or an envelope, nothing. Most of the petty crime is smash and grab, so when there is nothing visible, the perps donĺt tend to take the risk and just keep walking until they find a car with something worth the smash/grab risk.

Personally I wouldnĺt own a Porsche in SF without a somewhat secure place to park. For me it would plague my mind.

Soma/Mission Bay/similar will see much more frequent street break-ins/etc than the northern neighborhoods (Nth Beach, *** Hill, Russian Hill, etc) but the reality is nowhere is immune.. it is a city after all.

That said, there are lots of places that have a garage or underground style parking. You also have the option to rent a spot which will run 350-450mth in the nicer neighborhoods.

I have a 964 turbo and a GT3 RS and live in the middle of the city. I have experienced a shared condo garage (perhaps 24ish condos, each with a car park), at different times have rented a spot in another building, rented a spot in a 2 car garage to store a car, and now am fortunate enough to have garage space for 2 cars.

More than anything in SF you cannot have anything in your car. Not even a paper bag or an envelope, nothing. Most of the petty crime is smash and grab, so when there is nothing visible, the perps donĺt tend to take the risk and just keep walking until they find a car with something worth the smash/grab risk.

Hope this helps and happy to chat about neighborhood pros/cons.

Matty

While all that is definitely true, I don't think a rationale person would park a GT car on the street as their main form of parking. At least I hope not. Renting a private garage or a spot in an underground/gated garage is easy enough. Just gotta make sure the entry isn't some crazy drop like a lot of the houses up here in *** Hill and Russian Hill. From the street they might look like straight, flat driveways. But once the garage door opens, you realize it's a big hump/drop and a sports car can't get through.

Also, a lot of people who rent out their garage still use the garage for storage and entry to their home. So there is a risk of them walking by the car and scratching it while carrying stuff into and out of the house. Or of boxes and bikes and other items falling and damaging your car. That's why I feel like a parking garage complex is a bit better. Maybe? I dunno, I'm still trying to sort my options out before my car arrives.